


carry your heart with me

by mellowthunder



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, I don't know tags are hard okay?, M/M, One Shot, does this count as fluff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 12:51:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19357390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellowthunder/pseuds/mellowthunder
Summary: Baekhyun hates romance, but Chanyeol's doing a great job of changing his mind.





	carry your heart with me

"I'll miss you, Soo."

"You're not going to die."

"Tell my parents I love them."

"Stop being so dramatic."

"Tell Baekbeom to keep his grubby fingers off my manga collection."

"Baekhyun, I swear to god-"

"And try to keep it down when Jongin's over, you guys are lucky I have noise-cancelling earp-"

Baekhyun's woeful tirade abruptly cuts off as a thick roll of kimbap is violently shoved into his mouth. He aims betrayed puppy dog eyes at his roommate, but bites down enthusiastically because Kyungsoo's bulgogi kimbap could make even Gordon Ramsay cry tears of joy. 

"Nobody has ever died from attending a book club, Baekhyun."

Kyungsoo stares down thoughtfully at his neat pile of fillings as he prepares the next roll. After a moment of deliberation, he adds another strip of cucumber. Baekhyun shudders with disgust.

"Leave those out of mine," he says. He chews gingerly on the rest of his kimbap, wary of any stray pieces of cucumber. Finding none, he polishes off the last bite and resumes slumping miserably in his chair.

Kimbap is great but he is in the middle of a tragic crisis.

Kyungsoo clicks his tongue and smirks. "Dying people have no say in the menu," he teases. He unfurls another kimbap from the roller and adds it to a neat stack on a tray next to him. "It could be fun. You might even enjoy yourself."

"Did you miss the bit about my manga collection, Soo?" Baekhyun scoffs. "100 pages and not a single picture, I mean who does this Kafka chick even think she is?"

"Kafka was a man actually," Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "And it means a lot to Junmyeon. He's really excited about finally introducing you to Jongdae."

He twists his head to check an incoming text, slapping Baekhyun's creeping fingers away from the stack of kimbap without looking up. Baekhyun cradles his abused hand and whimpers pitifully.

"Is dinner not a thing anymore? Lunch even," he groans. "I'd have been perfectly happy with coffee."

"As if your taste buds are refined enough for coffee, you man-child. Besides, it's where they met. Jongdae's leading the group discussion tonight." Kyungsoo finishes sending off a reply on his phone and rolls his shoulders back, loosening the sore muscles in his neck.

"Jongin's almost here. Shouldn't you be leaving soon?"

Baekhyun pouts indignantly, bemoaning his friend's lack of sensitivity. Life is too short to drink basic, bitter coffee when there are delicious chocolate milkshakes on the menu, just waiting to be devoured, okay? Baekhyun is a _connoisseur_. He frowns at Kyungsoo's ignorance, but his lips turn up impishly when he notices the faint smile on his roommate's lips and the dusting of pink scattered across his cheeks. 

"So eager to send your beloved friend off to his death, Soo? I'm crushed."

He sighs, dragging a hand through his messy hair, then stands and grabs his wallet and a neglected copy of Kafka's _Metamorphosis_ off the kitchen table.

Checking his appearance in the hallway mirror, Baekhyun contemplates changing out of his baggy sweatshirt and faded jeans, then lazily shrugs. Junymeon had told him to dress casually anyways.

A knock sounds at the front door and Baekhyun pulls it open just as Kyungsoo steps out of the kitchen. Jongin stands in the doorway, all long limbs, tan skin, and sleepy eyes. He smiles in greeting at Baekhyun, before his eyes light up as he notices Kyungsoo wriggling his fingers from behind.

Baekhyun wants to gag at the cuteness. How dare they be adorable when he is starring in a tragedy? Rude.

"Hey Jongin," he says. "Kyungsoo made kimbap. Make sure to tell him thank you _hyung_ , he thinks it's cute when you call him that."

He cackles wickedly at the sound of Kyungsoo's indignant splutters as the door shuts behind him.

 

\---

 

"What do you think, Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun snaps upright in his seat, wrenching his eyes away from the webtoon he'd been reading sneakily behind his book. He looks around the room in panic, eyes whipping from one expectant face to the next before landing on Jongdae's friendly smile. He stares frantically at Junmyeon sitting next to him, but his friend's adoring gaze is glued unhelpfully to Jongdae.

Baekhyun hates romance. "Um. I… er-"

"Actually, we were just discussing the function of language in separating humans from beasts." 

A deep voice sounds from behind him. Baekhyun jerks around and finds himself looking straight into twinkling brown eyes and a blinding smile.  _Whoa._  

"Baekhyun had some interesting ideas about Gregor descending deeper into his bestial form as his ability to communicate deteriorated, isn't that right?" The stranger flashes a winning grin right at him.

Baekhyun blinks stupidly, the sound of his name spoken in that low baritone ringing in his ear.  _Bestial what? Never stop talking._

"That's a wonderful analysis!" Jongdae beams, clapping his hands delightedly. Other members chime in with their own comments and the conversation veers thankfully away from Baekhyun.

He sighs with relief and throws a grateful smile at his rescuer.

"Thanks. I'm Baekhyun. Apparently I'm a literary genius."

The stranger chuckles lowly and Baekhyun's skin tingles as the deep reverberations echo in the small space between them.

"Park Chanyeol. Apparently you are." Chanyeol grins, a deep dimple sinking into his cheek.

Baekhyun's eyes rake over the dark sweater stretched over Chanyeol's wide shoulders and the soft bangs sweeping into warm eyes, and he wonders how he had not noticed him before. Must have slipped in after Baekhyun had escaped into the wonderful world of Naver Webtoon. 

He tugs self-consciously at the sleeves of his baggy grey sweatshirt, wishing he had changed after all.

"I would have remembered such illuminating genius before. New here?" Chanyeol asks.

"Yeah, first time," Baekhyun replies. "Here with my friend. He's really into Jongda- er, books. Big, complicated books. Yes. All that good Kafka… deterioration... stuff."

He bites down on his lips, internally making dying whale noises. Great, Chanyeol probably thinks he's some awkward, illiterate loser. He prays to be turned into a bug by a big bolt of lightning so he can scuttle away and continue being awkward and miserable out of sight.

To his surprise, Chanyeol just laughs and eyes Baekhyun curiously. Baekhyun feels his cheeks heat up and looks away. A short girl wearing round, wire-rimmed glasses is speaking to the group. Jongdae nods in encouragement every so often and Junmyeon coos adoringly under his breath, literal hearts in his eyes.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, momentarily forgetting his mortification.

“He’s in the right place then.”

Chanyeol’s quiet voice drags his focus back to the man behind him. “To be honest, I find the whole Kafka, deterioration thing a bit hard to understand myself. Guess it’s not for everybody.”

He winks and Baekhyun changes his mind, romance is great, romance is fantastic. He opens his mouth to reply, but the screech of moving chairs interrupts him. Figures stand up around the room, stretching widely and exchanging enthusiastic small talk. The meeting has ended.

“Let’s go say hi to Jongdae?” Junmyeon asks, remembering Baekhyun’s existence. He turns and sees him facing Chanyeol, lifting an inquisitive brow as his eyes flick back and forth between them. Baekhyun wants to cry because  _timing, Junmyeon_.

“Oh, hey Yeol. We missed you last week.”

“Yeah sorry, Sehun finally got Wendy to agree to a date with him. Had to cover his shift.” Chanyeol rolls his eyes. “Speaking of which, I'd better run. He owes me dinner tonight. Say hello to Jongdae for me."

He gathers up a dark denim jacket tossed across the back of his chair and stands to leave. Baekhyun raises his eyes high up as Chanyeol unfurls his tall frame and whimpers internally because legs for  _days_. 

"Bye hyung, bye Baekhyun.” 

As they watch Chanyeol’s retreating figure, Junmyeon gives Baekhyun’s arm a light nudge.

“Guessing you're a new fan of Kafka?” He smirks knowingly.

Baekhyun shrugs, trying to hide his fluttering pulse.

Thankfully, Jongdae steps in right at that moment, all tinkering laughs and sweet eye smiles. Junmyeon is immediately and thoroughly distracted.

Baekhyun squeezes the paperback in his hands and finds himself wishing, for the first time that evening, that the book club meeting hadn’t come to an end.

 

\---

 

“Don't you already own that one?”

Kyungsoo asks, re-balancing the thick stack of cookbooks in his arms. A pair of thick-framed glasses hang off the end of his nose and he scrunches his brows, trying to get them back into place. Baekhyun reaches out and lightly pushes them up.

“This one is special edition,” he replies. “I haven’t seen these bonus illustrations yet.” He places the manga he had been flicking through on top of a small pile next to him.

He’d been visiting Kyungsoo at the café he worked at as a pastry chef that afternoon. On their way home, Kyungsoo had asked to stop by a bookstore to look for inspiration. Baekhyun had readily agreed, spotting a big display of manga through the tall windows of _Peter Pan Books_. He hadn’t been there before, but it was easy to get lost in the warm sunlight glinting off the teal walls, dark wood, and cozy sofas. 

Stretching his arms out as he yawns, he eyes the books Kyungsoo is holding. “Got everything you need?”

“I think so,” Kyungsoo frowns down at his books, biting his lips in contemplation. “Are you getting anything?”

“Maybe just this one,” Baekhyun says. He rises into a crouch and begins to pick up the pile of books on the ground. “Go ahead and check-out first. I’ll be over after I put these back.”

Kyungsoo nods and walks away toward the register. Baekhyun reaches up and starts re-shelving the manga he had been reading, smiling down at the colourful front covers and tracing the detailed illustrations with his fingers. As he reaches the last book in his pile he pauses, deliberating whether he should buy it or not.

“You like Junji Ito?”

A low voice sounds from over his shoulder and Baekhyun gasps, scrambling to grab the book as it slips from his fingers. A large hand shoots out and snags it out of the air before it hits the ground.

Baekhyun breathes out, then almost gasps again when he sees the owner of the hand.

Chanyeol stands in all his tall smiley glory, dressed in dark jeans and a white shirt. A small name badge reading ‘ _Yeol :)_ ’ is pinned to a dark green employee cardigan and Baekhyun wants to scream because soft, preppy, intellectual Chanyeol is definitely a mood.

Baekhyun blinks, wondering if he is hallucinating.

“Yeah, he’s one of my favourite mangaka,” he finally replies. “I’ve read _Uzumaki_ like 10 times.”

“Same. I even kind of liked the film adaptation, though I couldn’t look at a washing machine properly for ages afterwards.”

“Ha, I couldn’t eat sushi for about a week after reading _Gyo_.”

“Yeah, _Gyo_ ’s pretty up there.” Chanyeol grins. “So, what brings you to _Peter Pan_? Something tells me it's not Kafka." He holds out the book in his hand and Baekhyun grips it tightly to his chest, smiling at their little inside joke.

He jerks his head to where Kyungsoo is standing at the register, talking to a tall, bored-looking blond boy.

"I'm here with my roommate. He's a chef, needed some cookbooks. You work here?"

Chanyeol points to his gleaming name badge and bends into an exaggerated bow. "At your service." Baekhyun isn't sure if he wants to cringe at Chanyeol’s cheesiness or coo at his charm.

 _Why not both?_ He laughs loudly.

“I guess that explains you suddenly turning into _SparksNotes_ at the book meeting.”

“Ah, that.” Chanyeol scratches his head sheepishly. “Actually, I’m a lit major. Professor’s a huge fan, guess it’s a good thing I actually paid attention during his Kafka seminar.”

“Oh, you’re a student? Me too, I’m doing classical performance at Yonsei.”

“You go to Yonsei? Same here!” Chanyeol’s smile is blinding. “Huh, wonder why I’ve never ran into you on campus. I'd have definitely remembered seeing someone as cute as you.”

He probably doesn’t mean much by the compliment but Baekhyun blushes anyways.

“Oh… it’s a pretty big campus so…” he waves his hand lightly in the air, gloating with silent pleasure.

“My grandma could shelve those books faster than you and she’s 87.”

Kyungsoo reappears by his side. A large paper bag hangs from his elbow, _Peter Pan Books_ stamped across it in bold lettering. He cocks an eyebrow as he notices Chanyeol, then Baekhyun’s flushed face. It doesn’t take a genius to put the pieces together, and Kyungsoo knows him far too well.

Baekhyun gulps as Kyungsoo smirks menacingly at him.

“Your grandmother is a kendo master and goes paddle surfing on weekends. That's hardly fair,” he grumbles defensively.

Chanyeol whistles lowly and holds a hand out toward Kyungsoo. “I’m Chanyeol. You must be Baekhyun’s roommate.”

“Unfortunately. Hi Chanyeol, you must be Baekhyun’s type.” Kyungsoo flutters his eyes innocently as he shakes Chanyeol’s hand, oblivious to Baekhyun dying beside him.

The devil does not wear Prada, he wears aprons and argyle sweaters.

Chanyeol booms with laughter, eyes crinkling into an embarrassed smile. “I’m not sure about that, but I was hoping to find out over coffee actually. When my shift ends. In 10?”

He peers hopefully at Baekhyun and Baekhyun decides Kyungsoo is not the devil, he is an angel, he is cupid, he-

“Baek _loves_ coffee. Dark and bitter, like a real adult. Isn’t that right, Baek?” Kyungsoo shoots a shit-eating grin at Baekhyun and no, he is definitely the devil, the sadistic bastard.

“Oh, um. Yes. Can’t live without that espresso, mmm…” Baekhyun mutters weakly. But then Chanyeol’s eyes light up, and he decides that coffee is definitely his favourite beverage since right now ago.

Mysterious, intellectual musician Byun Baekhyun. Fueled by violin concertos and black coffee, absolutely.   

“Great. I’ll just go wrap up and say goodbye to Sehun then.”

Chanyeol gives Kyungsoo a final nod and heads toward the front of the store. Baekhyun’s eyes follow him appreciatively because damn, Chanyeol makes cardigans look good.

“Shall I presume you’ll be coming home late, tonight?” Kyungsoo leers from beside him and Baekhyun remembers to be mildly outraged.

“Coffee tastes like herbal medicine,” he moans miserably. He sags dramatically against the bookshelf behind him and _Slam Dunk Vol. 3_ promptly falls off on top of his head. Kyungsoo doesn’t even bat an eyelash as Baekhyun yelps and clutches his head.

“Love is pain,” he deadpans.

 

\---

 

Chanyeol finds Baekhyun after his shift, having changed out of his work cardigan in favour of a navy baseball jacket. Waving goodbye to Sehun at the register, they step out together into the crisp cold air of autumn in Seoul.

As they make their way over to a café Chanyeol frequented nearby, Baekhyun marvels at how naturally conversation seems to flow between them.

Chanyeol talks about discovering Oscar Wilde and how it sparked his passion for literature. He shares childhood stories about acting out wild scenarios with his older sister, about ironically quoting E.E. Cummings at work with Sehun, who is also a lit major at Yonsei. About his own writing, and his dream of sharing his work with the world one day.

Baekhyun talks about hearing Chopin for the first time and falling in love with classical music, about begging for piano lessons as a child and eventually writing his own compositions. He confesses his dual love for Erik Satie and Girls’ Generation, and they share their biases (Chanyeol’s is Tiffany and Baekhyun’s is Taeyeon).

They stop in front of a small coffee shop tucked away in a back alley in Sinchon. _Café Love Shot_ is written in curving letters on a simple wooden sign, and a menu handwritten in chalk stands neatly in front of a deep red door. Baekhyun’s nose immediately fills with the scent of roasting coffee beans and freshly baked cookies.

“Minseok-hyung makes the best lattes in this part of Seoul,” Chanyeol enthuses, holding the door open.

They step inside, and a small man with sharp features waves at them from behind the counter, slim fingers expertly hand dripping water into a brewer beneath. He brings the finished cup to a customer sitting at a window table and wipes his hands on a dish cloth as he walks over to the entrance.

“Good to see you Yeol,” Minseok says, wrapping an arm around Chanyeol in a loose hug. He eyes Baekhyun with friendly curiosity. “Seulgi’s been asking about you. She needs her favourite taster to test her new brownie recipe.”    

Chanyeol brightens excitedly. “I dream of Seulgi’s baking,” he sighs dreamily. He rests an arm gently on Baekhyun’s shoulder and Baekhyun resists the urge to internally combust. “This is Baekhyun. We met at the book club.”

“Nice to meet you, Baekhyun. Chanyeol’s never brought a friend before.” Minseok smiles warmly. “Make yourselves at home, I’ll come get your order when you’re ready.” He whistles lightly, greeting a new customer as he returns to the counter.

They settle at a table in a quiet corner, and Baekhyun flicks warily through the menu, eyes roving over unfamiliar Italian names. Crinkling his nose, he glances up at Chanyeol, who is biting down absently on his thumb as he reads through the list. Chanyeol looks up, and he flushes as their eyes meet across the table.

“You okay?”

“Fantastic. Splendid,” Baekhyun hastily replies. He hesitates, then giggles nervously. “Actually, I’m not great with coffee to be honest. It all just tastes like bitter medicine to me. My taste buds are still rejecting adulthood.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widen with surprise then squeeze into crescents as he bursts into laughter. Baekhyun basks in the pleasant sound of Chanyeol’s deep voice, enjoying the sight despite his embarrassment.

His laughter finally subsides and Chanyeol props his chin up on one hand, studying Baekhyun. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?” He smiles. “Do you trust me with the order then?”

“Sure. Surprise me.”

Chanyeol waves a hand at Minseok, who nods and walks over to their table. “What will it be?”

“Two chocolate milkshakes, please. Extra whipped cream.” He winks at Minseok and whispers loud and clear for Baekhyun to hear, “I’m trying to woo my guest.”

Byun Baekhyun’s stomach fills with warmth and he is absolutely, utterly _wooed_.

 

\---

 

They fall into an easy pattern after that, days spent walking hand-in-hand on campus between classes and evenings curled up reading manga together at _Peter Pan_. Weekends are spent at _Love Shot_ , drinking chocolate milkshakes and muffling sobs as they watch _Your Lie in April_  on Netflix.

Sometimes, Baekhyun will tag along to Chanyeol’s book club meetings before heading out for drinks together with Junmyeon and Jongdae. Sometimes, Chanyeol will come over when Baekhyun falls into a piano streak, forgetting to eat as he practices feverishly for hours on end.

Baekhyun leans against Chanyeol’s shoulder as he writes, erases, and rewrites notes, and Chanyeol chats quietly with Jongin and Kyungsoo as they make kimbap together.

He always remembers to leave the cucumbers out of Baekhyun’s rolls.

One night just before Christmas, they are sitting across from each other at _Love Shot_. Baekhyun holds his breath as he submits his application to Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and breathes out, peering at Chanyeol. He is hunched over the table, slowly scrawling something on a small square of paper.

“What’s that?”

Chanyeol startles, hastily sliding the paper off the table and hiding it behind his back.

“It’s nothing. Just some random drabbles.”

Baekhyun narrows his eyes at Chanyeol’s flustered reaction and pouts, reaching around him to try and steal the paper from his grasp.

“Lies. You’re writing voodoo curses about me, aren’t you? Evil word sorcerer.”       

Chanyeol laughs and holds the slip high up out of Baekhyun’s reach.

“Is that really what you think of me, Baek? I’m hurt.” He clutches his chest in mock pain.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes because there is only room for one drama queen in this relationship, thank you very much. He growls menacingly at Chanyeol, who doesn't have the heart to tell him that he is about as threatening as an angry puppy.

Chanyeol sighs in mock defeat and slides the tiny white slip across the table top, nudging it over the glossy surface until it just barely grazes the edge of Baekhyun’s fingertips.

Curious, Baekhyun picks it up and slowly unfolds it, eyes scouring the messy scrawl that has been written across.

There are only three lines. Short. Simple.

 

_i carry your heart with me (i carry it in_

_my heart) i am never without it (anywhere_

_i go you go)_  

 

The corners of his mouth lift into the tiniest smile. He reaches across the table, takes Chanyeol’s hand in his, laces their fingers together. His hand looks small and pale as it grips Chanyeol’s warm, ink-splattered palm.

But it looks good, feels good. Feels right.

Baekhyun knows he will want to kick himself later for being a cheesy bastard, but what’s life without a bit of cheese?

So he leans over and presses a sweet kiss against Chanyeol’s lips. Leaning back, he looks straight into startled eyes and speaks with all the sincerity he can muster.

“Keep it safe for me.”

The smile that explodes across Chanyeol’s face is devastating.  

-

**Author's Note:**

> *I don't know what happened, I never write fluff, I-???  
> *this cheesy monstrosity spawned from a day dream I had about that last scene in the cafe.  
> *title inspo and lines on the note written by Chanyeol are from E.E. Cummings' poem _I Carry Your Heart With Me._


End file.
